Originally posted by eastcoast49ersfan:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/NFLRANK2015/top-100-players
With Aldon Smith gone, the 49ers have no top 50 players (at least according to this ranking) and their only top 100 players are Joe Staley (31 years old) and Navarro Bowman (27, but coming off a severe injury). On the other hand, the Seahawks have 7 players in the top 50 and 9 in the top 100. If Bowman stays healthy, he may ascend in next season's rankings, but this is one of the least talented 49ers teams in a long time. This may be the least talented roster since 2007, but I felt a lot better about that roster with talented young players like Willis, Gore, Davis, and Staley who we could build a team around.
It took 4 year for that team to make the playoffs and the division has only gotten stronger. How long do you think it will take for the 49ers to make the playoffs again?
I just don't see what the issue is... It's not a team ranking it's ESPN's version of the top 100 players & while people might not agree with the order, the players on the list are about right. Bowman's ranking is what you'd expect coming off of the injury, the way he is looking in preseason if it continues throughout the year like you said he'll be on the top half of the list by this time next year.
It's gonna be the team performing well together, rather that a few elite guys putting it on their back that determines how successful the niners are this season. Starting with the D got to keep teams scores low!